Sustainability sector offered first salary survey, Written by Ross Kendall, Thursday, 26 May 2011

Australia’s first salary survey for professionals in the sustainability sector is underway and it aims to fill an information vacuum according to employment consultant Lisa Tarry.  “I have been getting calls form clients who have a position that needs filling, and they want to know what salary they should offer…basically there just isn’t enough information,” said Tarry, founder of Turning Green Consultants (TGC), a sustainability sector employment agency. The survey is being supported by a coalition of organisations including: the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Green Building Council of Australia, the Australian Green Infrastructure Council, Environmental Jobs Network, Models of Success and Sustainability, and TGC. While there is salary information for technical environmental roles, pure corporate social responsibility roles and those related to carbon markets, there is a big gap when it comes to the wider sustainability sphere said Tarry. “The problem is made worse because sustainability roles can vary widely depending on the industry under consideration,” she said. Tarry doesn’t think the survey could have the effect of ratcheting up salaries in the field, arguing that the financial return from a job is just one of the many components that attract people to a role. The subjective aspect of a position, for example work-life balance, contributing to a worthwhile cause and job satisfaction, is just as important as the objective outcomes of prestige, power, money, and advancement she said. “The survey is really about getting an idea of what people are worth to the industry, and just as importantly, what business will have to pay to attract the right talent for the right roles. “Companies face the real prospect of having to attract talent from overseas in coming years, and they are going to have to know in advance what sort of spend they are looking at to attract the right person for the role. “We really are trying to get some baseline data, the idea is that we will do this year on year,” she said. The research findings will be launched at the ACCA annual sustainability conference on Monday August 8, 2011. The survey can be found by following the links from Tarry’s website:  www.turninggreen.com.au